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They don’t put as much in the sandwich .. But I keep going back.

Written by: Bob Janet

Article Overview: There are 3 things your customers want: 1. Low price 2. Top quality 3. Great service Unfortunately you can only give them a combination of two of the three if you expect to stay in business. You just cannot provide all three. Those that try are not around very long. You know as well as I do that most businesses and sales professionals fail because they try to compete with low price.

They don’t put as much in the sandwich .. But I keep going back.

Every time I go in and order a sandwich I swear I will not return because they never put as much meat in the sandwich as I would like. Their competition puts more meat in the sandwich and charges less. I am not getting the quantity, in terms of quantity, I want. But then I realize I love the great service. As soon as I am halfway in the door someone from behind the counter is greeting me. Even if they are busy with other customers, they find the time; it only takes a second, to great me. And as soon as I am at the counter they are eagerly awaiting my sandwich order with a smile. Plus their ingredients are top quality and their prices, although not the lowest, they are fair. They are giving me two of the three things I want. If they gave me the third- price, I would be looking for a new sub shop before long, as they would go out of business.

Which pair of the 3 thingcan you offer your customers and make the profit you desire? Or can you and should you offer different combinations on different products and services you sell?
Price and Quality
Price and Service
Service and Quality

How do you figure out which combination of two aspects you can offer? It’s easy. You can get a higher price, and after all higher price is what you really want. You want to give top quality and service, but you want to get paid for it. After all, giving the customer top quality and top service at a price you profit at is what will keep you in business and prosperous.

Oh, some of you are saying, “But Bob, half of my customers buy price.” First of all, I doubt that is the fact if you are offering top quality and top service. And even if it were true, so what? Forget that half. They are only going to cause you more work for fewer dollars and put you out of business. Concentrate on the half that makes you money. Expand your offers (sell more to them) to more of the half that keeps you in business. Just stop promoting to the people that only buy price. It costs no more to promote to the value buyers.

The only way I have ever found to increase the price of my products and service it to increase the value or perceived value. For example, the story about the young newspaper reporter doing a story on local businesses and happened along two candy stores located on the same street. One candy store always had lots of children as customers. Their bicycles were always strung about in front of the store, and they continually came and went all day long. The other candy store never had any children as customers. When asked, the children said they did not buy candy at the other store because they take their candy away from them. Not understanding, the young reporter went into the candy store the children did not patronize and ordered a half-pound of candy. The clerk put a big scoop of candy on the scale and slowly removed candy from the scale until there was only one half pound left. He left and then entered the busy candy store and ordered one half pound of the same candy. It was priced the same as the previous store but this time the clerk, using a small scoop, took 4 scoops full adding to the scale to get up to one half pound of candy. Although the same candy was purchased, the same amount, and the price, was the same the children perceived the other candy store as taking their candy away and did not purchase from there.

What perceptions do you give your customers about: Price Quality Service ?

It’s your choice. Sell price or sell quality and service and prosper.

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Article Tags: combinations, different products, doubt, money, quality price, sandwich, smile, top quality



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